


Light and Shadow

by APH_Gabbi



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age - Various Authors, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Blind Character, Cousland (Dragon Age) is not a Grey Warden, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, F/F, F/M, Haven (Dragon Age), M/M, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Post-Dragon Age: Origins, Pre-Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Winter Palace (Dragon Age), Warden Cousland (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APH_Gabbi/pseuds/APH_Gabbi
Summary: Phoebe Cousland suffered a traumatic injury at thirteen, during the midst of the Fifth Blight, causing her to completely lose her sight. She survived the harshest of struggles alongside her older brother Kellen, who is now known as the Hero of Ferelden. Ten years later, Ferelden is still quite a mess, and Kellen is nowhere to be found. The responsibility of attending the conclave in his stead falls to her, but little did she know, she'd sign up for much more.Phoebe joins the Inquisition to save the world from peril, yet again, with faces both new and old. Determined to make a name for herself, she works with her team to push back the onslaught of demons, but unresolved trauma from the past continues to weigh heavy on her mind, especially as onlookers doubt her capabilities, due to her lack of sight.Can Phoebe persevere through her biggest weakness, or will she break and fall like the frail child her family still sees her as?
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Josephine Montilyet, Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Male Cousland/Morrigan (Dragon Age), Morrigan (Dragon Age)/Original Character(s), Morrigan (Dragon Age)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction in a long while. I typically write original fantasy works, but I've been inspired to connect Dragon Age: Origins with Inquisition using my newest Inquisitor Phoebe Cousland. I hope y'all enjoy and if you have any feedback, don't hesitate to let me know!

**Chapter 1:**

_Dark. Cold. Dirty._ That’s what Phoebe sensed as she slowly rose to consciousness. But, things were always dark in her world. The young woman was born half blind, and had lost the rest of her sight when she was thirteen, during the fifth blight.

Phoebe was confused. Her mind was clouded, her right hand throbbed as if it were on fire, and she had no clue where she was. As she slowly came to her senses her eyes darted across the room, looking for what little light or shadow she could distinguish. She was focused on this mission she’d given herself in that moment; searching for the eyes she felt glaring in her direction. So focused, in fact, that she was completely caught off guard when a firm voice spoke from behind her.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now.”

The woman paused, letting her words sink in before continuing.

“The Conclave. Destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.” The woman seethed, disgust written in her final sentence.

Phoebe’s freckled face twisted from one of neutral panic to one of absolute confusion. Her voice was raspy, but she made an effort to respond.

“Dead? And you think I’m the one responsible?”

As soon as her mouth had closed, she felt a tight grip form around her wrist as her hand was brought toward her face. A harsh glow overwhelmed her scarcely existent vision. She shut her eyes and turned her head away just as a stern and rather familiar voice halted her companions actions.

_“Cassandra.”_

No command was uttered, merely a name. Her interrogator’s name. She heard a grunt come from the angered woman, Cassandra, before she spoke again.

“Explain that.”

“I’m not sure what you me-” Phoebe was quick to retort, but her captor was just as quick to cut her off.

“The mark. Tell me. About your mark.”

Phoebe heard footsteps slowly approaching her and her interrogator as she formulated a reply.

“I can’t… I don’t-” again, she was cut off. Only this time, this Cassandra woman had decided to use a physical approach once more. Cassandra gripped her shoulders and shouted,

“You’re lying!” Phoebe felt she was on the verge of being shaken in her captors rage until that familiar female’s voice yet again cut through the chaos like a knife.

_“Cassandra!”_

All activity stopped. Their attention turning toward the Orlesian in an instant.

“She is _blind_ Cassandra. She cannot see the mark on her hand. Now leave her be. We need her.”

Phoebe couldn’t help but smile the slightest bit as Cassandra removed her iron grip from her shoulders. It had taken her a moment to think, but she knew the woman defending her well. It had been over a decade since she’d last heard the voice, but she would know it anywhere.

“Leliana,” she spoke the name fondly, her head turning in the direction of the kind-hearted redhead she knew long ago.

“Phoebe...”

Leliana smiled as she slowly approached her, kneeling down with the intention of having a far calmer conversation. She continued questioning where her far more aggressive partner had left off.

“What do you last remember? Do you know how this all began?”

Phoebe sighed, trying to force memories to the front of her brain that just weren’t there.

“I remember running… I think there were things chasing me and.. A woman? Yes, a woman’s voice… But I can’t remember what she said.” It was a rather pathetic recollection, but it was all the Fereldener could muster.

There was no immediate answer. Leliana took a moment to absorb what little information was given. She attempted to make sense of it all,

“...a woman?” Her reply was baffled, but truthfully, she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to.

Phoebe heard the shuffling of feet as Cassandra began to speak again.

“Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”

Leliana sighed, about to contest the notion, but decided against it.

“Keep her alive. That is all I ask,” were her parting words.

Phoebe felt her captors hands grip the chains that bound her, unlocking them in a hurry. She rubbed her wrists as they came off, but they were quickly replaced with rope binding.

“So, nobody made it out? Not even an old Mabari, by chance?” Phoebe had her hopes up that her loyal companion had somehow survived whatever it was that so many others hadn’t seemed to.

“It was a massive explosion that tore a hole in the sky. I would be surprised to see anything else that had survived the blast.”

Cassandra opened the doors of the chantry as she spoke. Phoebe listened carefully not only to her response, but to each step she took. She kept her distance from her captor, but matched her pace, following along whilst making an effort not to run into her. She’d just become familiar with the aggressive woman’s pacing when she felt her hand burn, pain coursing through her hand. She fell to her knees and cried out in agony. Cassandra immediately knelt to help her back up, cutting the ropes she’d just recently placed around the ginger’s wrists.

“The breach grows faster, as does the mark on your hand.”

Phoebe grimaced, confusion still clouding her mind as the pain subsided.

“The breach? Is that the hole you mentioned?”

Cassandra nodded, waiting for another response from Phoebe, only to remember the young woman’s condition.

“Ah, yes.. It is. We believe your mark may be the key to closing it. Perhaps we can stop its spread if we succeed,” she continued to walk toward Haven’s gates as she spoke. Phoebe noticed this and continued forward as well.

“And what if we don’t close this thing? If this fecking thing on my hand keeps growing?” She kept walking, jumping back as she bumped into Cassandra who she could only assume had stopped to give her a serious look.

“You will die,” that was all she said.

“Oh,” was the simple response.

The girls stayed silent and continued walking in silence. They didn’t make it far before the breach spit out a meteor strong enough to destroy the bridge they stood on. Phoebe could not quite describe the sound she heard next, but she safely assumed it was a demon which stood before her. Primarily because Cassandra had shouted _“Demons!”_ shortly after they’d been hit by the green blast.

Phoebe sighed and began feeling the ground for anything she could use as a weapon. She found a hefty piece of wood from the bridge and swung it in front of her, satisfied after feeling it make contact with something. Cassandra made no response, meaning she’d been lucky hitting a demon instead. She swung once more and dashed backward, running into the broken, elevated planks of wood. She jumped up, grazing her leg across a sharp edge, and continued to feel around for anything more effective against her inhuman opponent.

She gasped, feeling the hilt of a longsword at her fingertips, and a shield not much further away. The demon screeched nearby and the Ferelden woman secured her weaponry, grunting as she slashed. Once. Twice. A third time and the demon had finally silenced. It was dead.

“Drop your weapon!” Cassandra had soon commanded her. Phoebe did not like that.

“Are you kidding me? I refuse to stand helplessly when I’m fully capable of hitting what’s in front of me! Keep me informed on whatever’s around and I might actually survive this journey.” She was firm in her response. Firm enough that Cassandra had agreed to let her keep the sword and shield.

They continued on, making small conversation as they went. Cassandra informed Phoebe of her abrupt appearance from the fade, as well as anything else they’d discovered during the time she was unconscious.

They came across another wave of demons, cutting them down as quick as they’d appeared, and finally, approached a small rift, combated by numerous soldiers. The women entered the fight, swiftly cutting down the demons in front of them. A man’s voice cut through the air and Phoebe’s hand was grabbed for the third time that day. The man guided it toward the sky and she felt it burn again, as the rift closed with a small explosion.

“What did you do with my hand?” Phoebe asked, quite baffled.

“I did nothing. Your mark closed the rift before us,” the stranger responded. Before Phoebe had time to respond, another voice cut in.

“And thank the maker for that. Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever!” The new man chuckled, approaching her to introduce himself.

“Varric Tethras. Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong.” He winked. Cassandra was audibly disgusted.

“I am Solas, if there are to be introductions,” he bowed his head with a polite greeting, and Phoebe introduced herself as well.

“Phoebe Cousland, a pleasure.” She too had bowed her head politely, not that she had noticed Solas in the first place.

Varric found amusement in her greeting, “Cousland? You don’t mean like the-” Phoebe cut him off quick enough with a nod.

“I do. Now drop it,” her voice was layered with distaste, and she focused her attention back toward Cassandra. “The big one. How much further?”

“Not far once we reach the forward camp. Come, before that mark pulses again.” Cassandra led the group along down the hill. Phoebe felt no pain from her hand, but she did find herself tumbling in the snow as she tripped over a few mounted planks of wood.

“I would appreciate some type of warning next time you lead me into an obstacle, you know.”

Varric chuckled, helping her to her feet.

“You didn’t see it?” he questioned.

Phoebe directed her gaze directly into his, and he winced, realizing what he’d just said.

“Ah, bad question, sorry…” Varric tried to cover his previous statement with half an apology.

Phoebe merely sighed in response. This was going to be a long trip. She just knew it.


	2. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoebe arrives back at Haven after temporarily closing the breach. What awaits her was more kindness than she had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, it's been too long! I do hope it's been worth the wait but I didn't want to rush out anything garbage! Let me know what you think! <3

“Talk your shit all you want, but at least save it for when I’m not here!”

“You shouldn’t even _be_ here!”

Phoebe tightly clenched her fists as she seethed in a rage, her right hand only throbbing from the mark even more than previously. Of course between the interrogations and demon fights she wouldn’t be able to catch a break. Not at the forward camp, not anywhere, for the time being. Just her luck.

“Call a retreat, Seeker,” the old Orlesian Chancellor had ordered.

“We can stop this, Roderick, before it’s too late. The path to the temple is our quickest route to the Breach,” the Seeker countered the Chancellor’s demands and offered a plan of action. Leliana had countered with a suggestion of her own, though the thought of trekking a mountain path made Phoebe’s stomach turn. She’d had enough ups and downs already for the day. A straightforward charge would be just fine by her.

. . .

Another rift closed and the team had arrived at the temple quick enough. Phoebe slid her feet carefully across the ground in front of her, pushing any rocks to the side as she searched for steps or obstacles in front of her.

“Strange to be back here again. I wonder if the ashes made it through all this…” She wondered aloud as they entered what remained of the temples main chamber.

“We can only hope it survived, though, with everything in such ruins it’s not likely.” Cassandra’s voice seemed gloomy as she spoke. Such a precious artefact being blown to pieces would be hard for any of the faithful to digest.

The ginger just shrugged.

“At least I’ll always remember the dragon. That was one hell of a fight.” Phoebe herself was forced to seek safety for the fight, but watching her brother and his companions take down such a beast was nothing short of spectacular. She still had one of the beasts scales as a keepsake, though admittedly, it wasn’t much of a good luck charm.

Varric eyed Phoebe curiously as she spoke of the dragon. He questioned her without a word, and the feeling of his lingering eyes had been enough to elaborate further.

“When Haven was a cultist town they worshipped a dragon as Andraste’s reincarnation. Leliana can tell stories of this place far better than I can. Ask her if we make it out of this alive.” It was only when Varric hummed in thought that she realized who had been staring, but she shrugged off the chatty dwarf’s distraction and continued moving forward.

Oh, how she regretted that choice.

Upon turning a corner, her relative darkness had been interrupted by the blinding light from the Breach above her. Phoebe immediately shielded her eyes as a deep, masculine voice rang out in the air. She paid no mind to what it said. She was far too busy adjusting to the abrupt light from the Breach.

“I thought you could not see, Phoebe,” Solas pointed out, snapping her back into reality.

She merely huffed. “A light like that is hard to miss-” again, Phoebe was cut from her thoughts with another light that exceeded the Breach’s intensity. Images filled her head of the Temple, memories, though not hers. The Divine called for help, and she responded, her Mabari companion at her side. Although, this was the first glimpse of the event she could recall.

As the war dog, Sir Tubbs III barked, alarmed by the situation, Phoebe sent him away to alarm others within the temple. The warrior was rather invested in the flashback until it quickly ended, bringing her back into the present.

Unfortunately, the present also meant Cassandra, who eagerly bombarded Phoebe with questions regarding the event. She questioned her rapidly, and the young woman held her head in frustration, shouting to quiet her down.

“Enough! I already told you I don’t remember what happened there. Solas, you’re the expert on this thing, right? What can we do to stop this bloody thing?”

“The rift is unstable, but if we can open it, we might just be able to seal it safely this time, until we can figure out a way to permanently close it. Although, we may draw attention.”

“That means demons, everyone, stand ready.” Cassandra ordered, helping Phoebe find way past the halfway decimated railings.

Leliana showed up with soldiers in time for Phoebe to open the Breach. She immediately heard an ear splitting screech from above… the demon… _ew_.

“Listen for my voice, Phoebe! I’d rather not see you crushed by that thing!” Leliana hollered in her direction as the chaotic fight erupted.

Phoebe was independent enough to keep some sort of distance from her dear friend, but she stayed close enough to hear any potential calls. She found herself dodging left and right, occasionally disrupting the rift again, thus stripping the large creature of its defenses.

The fight was grueling, and the electricity stung hard, but eventually, the demon went down, much to everyone’s pleasure. Phoebe gasped in exhaustion, raising her hand toward the sky one last time, releasing an agonizing cry as the mark caused what felt like fire to course through her entire arm, knocking her unconscious.

. . .

Phoebe awoke, a wet snout nudging at her hand. She groaned as she rose from her resting position, body aching from the fight. She heard a gasp and a crash nearby; her head snapped immediately in the direction.

“O-oh! You’re awake! I-I’m so sorry, I humbly beg your forgiveness, my lady! I-I am but a mere servant.”

The voice was alarmed; Phoebe relaxed her body, instinctively patting the head of the animal at her side.

“I-it’s alright? I think? But, where are we? How long have I been out?” Phoebe stretched a little as she questioned the servant in hopes of figuring out what had happened.

“We’re in Haven, my lady. You lost consciousness after closing the breach. It’s all anyone has been talking about for the past three days.” The servant paused, remembering the last crucial piece of information. “O-oh, I must inform Lady Cassandra of your awakening! She wishes to speak with you in the Chantry when you rose from your sleep. A-at once!” She ran out immediately; Phoebe hadn’t had a moment to process the request or even ask for an escort.

The redhead took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. She rose from her bed, kneeling down before her dog. She planted a big kiss on his nose and gave him plenty of pets.

“Thank the maker you’re alright, boy. I don’t know what I’d have done had I lost you..”

She wrapped the dog in a hug, feeling the strange, fiery vibration of the glowy mark on her hand flare. Everso slowly, Phoebe brought herself to her feet. She gave Tubbs a command to stay at her side to carefully guide her to the Chantry.

Many people lined the paths outside, making for quite the awkward walk. Phoebe kept her focus on Tubbs and the ground in front of her. While her faithful companion would keep her from running into anything hazardous, she preferred the extra caution to the whispers of the townsfolk around her. Eventually, she made it to the two large wooden doors and tugged on the handle, opening it just enough for her and her companion to slip through.

She listened closely for the sound of Cassandra’s brash voice, only to hear Rodericks first, followed by her yelling.

“Right, there,” Phoebe took another deep breath and approached the door to the war room, opening the door.

The room went silent for only a moment before the argument continued. Roderick was adamant about having Phoebe imprisoned and executed, but Cassandra defended her, much to her surprise. This woman had little faith in her three days ago, but something had shifted in her tone. She’d come to trust Phoebe, if only just a little; and for the time being, that was good enough for her. It did seem, however, that this trust came at a price. Cassandra wanted her help… again.

“I know this might be a lot to handle, but the mark on your hand might just be the only thing that will save us, Phoebe. We need your help.”

_Leliana…_ She hadn’t realized she was in the room as well. Her expression softened.

“Help us fix this, before it’s too late,” Cassandra proposed.

Phoebe had to take another deep breath before nodding her head.

“Alright, you’ve got it. I just hope you’ve got a plan.”

Cassandra chuckled, placing a book on the table in front of her. In that moment, she declared the Inquisition reborn and threw Chancellor Roderick out of the room.

Phoebe felt a familiar touch on her shoulder, coming from behind. Without hesitation, she turned and wrapped her old friend into a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you, bard.”

“I have missed you too, Phoebe.”


End file.
